New York Yankees outfielder Spencer Jones found himself in disbelief Tuesday after a play that initially seemed like a spectacular home run robbery ultimately resulted in a home run. The incident occurred with two outs in the first inning against the Detroit Tigers.
Kerry Carpenter hit a pitch from Yankees pitcher Cam Schlittler to deep center field. Jones, positioned near the wall, appeared to track the ball and jumped, extending his glove above the fence in an attempt to make the catch. The ball initially landed in his glove, drawing cheers from Yankee Stadium, but then bounced out and over the wall into the home bullpen for a home run.
Jones' misadventure in the first inning set the stage for a difficult outing for Schlittler. The pitcher subsequently allowed another home run to Riley Greene. Prior to this game, Schlittler, considered an American League Cy Young front-runner, had not surrendered more than one home run in an inning. In this single inning, he allowed three.
The Tigers continued their offensive surge. Colt Keith followed with a single, and then Spencer Torkelson hit a two-run homer to left field. The Yankees began warming up pitcher Ryan Yarbrough before Schlittler managed to retire the next batter, Zach McKinstry, to end the inning. A total of four runs scored in the top of the first on 36 pitches, with 27 of those thrown after Jones' attempt at the wall.